Exposition of Philippians 3, Part 8
VERS. 3. And rejoyce in Christ.
THe word rejoyce, implyes a boasting, or glorying of the heart, manifesting it selfe in outward countenance and gesture; as also, in speech, it also implies a resting on, and contenting in, the thing we glory in: proceeding from an assurance, that we glory in a thing worthy of glory, for they are fooles that delight in bables. Observe hence therefore,
Doctr. 1.That those that will worship Christ aright, must glorie in him: For the worship of Christ is a thing that requires incouragement, and nothing can worke this incouragement like the glorying in Christ: and therefore Paul in the first part of his Epistle to the Romans, having shewed that God had elected them freely, and had begun the worke of sanctification in their hearts: he comes in the 12. Chapter: I beseech you (saith he) present your selves as a holy, living, and acceptable sacrifice, to God. And in Tit. 2.11. The grace of God teacheth, by incouraging us to deny ungodlines, & to walk unblameably, soberly, righteously, and godlily, in this present world. And therefore, whensoever wee grow dull or dead, think of the great benefits that we have by Christ, and it will quicken us, and all our performances.
In the next place observe:Doct. 2. That Christ is the matter, and subject of true glory and rejoycing, and onelyonly Christ: for they well goe together, a full, and large affection, with a full and large object: boasting is a full affection, the object is every way as full. First, as he is God and man, he is God full of all things, he is man full of all grace, and void of all sinne, he is Christ anointed to performe all his offices, he is a Prophet all-sufficient in all wisedome, in him are the treasures of wisedome: he teaches us, not onelyonly how to doe, but he teaches the very deed: he is our High-priest, he is the sacrifice, the altar, and the Priest, and he is our eternall Priest in Heaven, and on earth: on earth as suffering for us; in Heaven as mediating for our peace. Who shall condemne us, it is Christ that dyeth? yea rather that is risen againe, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us, Rom. 8.34. He is also our King, he is King of all: King of kings, and Lord of lords, a King for ever, and at all times, subduing all rebellions within us, and all enemies without us; and he is all these so, as none is like him: and therefore is worthy of our glory.
Reason. 2.Secondly, Christ is communicative in all these: he is Prophet, Priest, King for us, he is God, man, he is Christ for us: he sought not his owne, it was his communicative goodnesse that drew him from Heaven, to take our nature.
Reason. 3.Thirdly, he is present, and ready to doe all good for us. he is present with us to the end of the world: nay,
Reason. 4.Fourthly, we are his members, he is in us: we are his wife; nay we are him. Saul, why persecutest thou me? 1 Cor. 12. We are all one body with Christ.
Reason. 5.Fifthly, We are even, whiles we are here, glorified with Christ: he is our husband, if hee be honoured, we his spouse also are advanced: if he be our King, we are his Queene: if the head be crowned, the body is honoured: and
Reason. 6.Sixthly, all this is from God, and freely comes from him: Christ is anointed by the spirit, and sent from the father. 1 Cor. 1.30. He is made of God, wisedome, righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption to us. And Ioh. 6.44. No man can come to me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him: and it is further said that God sealed him. So that we may rejoyce in Christ, because that thereby we come to joy in God, for he reconciles us to God, who called him to this office, which was witnessed at his baptisme, when as the whole Trinity bare witnesse thereof.
But it may be questioned.Quest. What? may wee not joy in any other thing else but in Christ.
I answer,Answ. there may be two causes of our joy. One principall;Causes of true joy. the other lesse principall. We must onelyonly rejoyce in Christ, as the maine and principall cause of our happinesse. But we may rejoyce in creatures, so farre forth as they are testimonies of Christs love, and in peace of conscience, as comming from Christ: and in the word of God, as it is the Gospell of the revelation of Christ to us.
For use.Vse. 1. We may observe this doctrine, as a ground of the necessitie of particular faith. For none can boast, but the boasting must arise from a particular faith, which onelyonly is the true ground of every mans particular assurance.
Secondly,Vse. 2. let it serve as a direction to every Christian that will rejoyce, let him goe out of himselfe and rejoyce in Christ, his King, his Priest, and his Prophet: let him observe what he hath done for him, and what he will doe for him, and thereby see himselfe perfectly happy, and
In the third place,Vse. 3. Let us first boast, that we have Christ, and then in his benefits and blessings that follo… him. First, rejoyce that we have the field, then rejoyce in the pearle. And therefore the Apo…tle sayes not, rejoyce in faith, or in obedience, but in Christ: who being once mine, how shall I not have all things with him?
Vse. 4.Those that are burdened with sorrow for their sinne, let them consider. Why doe they grieve? doe their sinnes trouble them? Christ, hee came to dye for sinne, he is their high-Priest, he came to save sinners. Doth the devill accuse them? let them know Christ chose them, he pleades for them, who can lay any thing to their charge, Christ he is dead, risen; nay he is ascended into Heaven. Are they troubled with crosses? That is the best time to rejoyce in Christ. We joy in tribulation, Rom. 5.3. When nothing comforts us, then hath Christ sweetest communion with our hearts. St. Steven, when the stones …lew about him, and Paul in the dungeon had the most sweet consolation, and comfortable presence of Gods spirit that upheld them. Nay in death, wee may glory most of all: it lets us into that state, into that sweet society with our Saviour and the Saints, the very hope whereof, doth now sustaine us, and cause us to glory here: as in Rom. 5.2. And death now is but a droane, the sting is gone, all enemies are conquered.
Vse. 5.In the fifth place, See wherein the glory of a man, of a nation, of a kingdome consists: it is in Christ, and that which exhibites Christ. What made the Iewes rejoyce? marke the prerogatives they had. Rom. 9.3. Adoption, covenant, promises, and Christ. What made the house of Iuda so famous? and Mary so blesse her selfe? All generations shall call me blessed: Christ that vouchsafed to proceed out of her loynes, and from that stocke. Abraham rejoyced to see Christs day, though he saw it a farre off by the eye of faith. And what should we glory in above the Iewes? above other nations? but in this; the vaile is taken away, Christ shines, and we have the Gospell in its puritie. This the Apostle lookes for in the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 2.3. Having confidence that my joy is the joy of you all. Now what was Pauls joy? God forbid (saith he) that I should rejoyce, but in the crosse of Christ, Gal. 6.14. Let us not therefore rejoyce in peace, or plenty, fortified places, or the like. No, if we had not Christ to rejoyce in, we were no better than Turkes. Happy is the people whose God is the Lord; for in him shall we have fulnesse of joy and comfort: make use of this in time of temptation. When the divell would robbe us of our joy, fly to Christ, oppose him against all: oppose the second Adam against the first, he came to doe what ever the other did undoe. Learne to see the subtilty of the divell, and thine owne heart, and fill thy heart with the Scriptures, and with meditations of the promises, and they will cause our love to be so fervent, as all our service of God will seeme to be easie to us. As the time that Iacob served seemed nothing, for the love he bare to Rachel.
But how shall wee know whether wee rejoyce in Christ, or not?
Answ.I answer▪ by these signes:
Signes of true Christian joy.First, when we glorie, see the ground whence it arises, whether from God reconciled to us or not. 1, Signe.If otherwise: remember that of Ier. 9.23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome, nor the strong man in his strength, all such rejoycing is evill. But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth me that I am the Lord.
2. Signe.Secondly, If we glory in the Lord, it will stirre us up to thankes: What we joy in we will praise: if we joy in Christ, we shall like the Spouse in Canticles, ever be setting forth the praises of our beloved. Thus did Paul, Ephes. 1.3. and Peter, 1 Pet. 1.3. and therefore where deadnesse, and dulnesse is, it shewes no true Christian joy.
3. Signe.Thirdly, Our glorying will be seene in dutie: delight ever implies the intention to doe any good worke, and diligence.
4. Signe.Fourthly, if we glory in Christ aright, we shall not indure any addition to Christ; and therefore we shall abhorre that Popish Tenent, which puts so many additions to Christ, in the meritorious worke of our salvation. A true rejoycer in Christ, sees such all-sufficiency in Christs merits, and worke, that he abhorres purgatorie and such trash: and so much the more, by how much his glorying in Christ, is the more fervent and sincere. Christ is our husband, we are his spouse: if we cleave to any other, than to Christ, we are adulterers. No, let him kisse us with the kisses of his mouth, and none but he.
Fifthly,5. Signe. this joy where it is, it will breed content in all estates: Paul could want and abound, and so can a true rejoycer: in Christ he hath all, he cares not for earthly wants, so he wants no heavenly comfort; if he be poore, he is rich in heaven; nay what he most complaines of are good for him, life or death, all's one with him, Christ is his, and in him all things.
But it may be said:Quest. There are many Christians are not in this happy condition?
I answer.Answ. Its their owne fault, to yeeld to the divels policie, and their owne weaknesse, that will not labour to breake through these clouds, and challenge the promises.